1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic tape loading apparatus and, more particularly, to a magnetic tape loading apparatus suitable for protecting the tape from being dislodged out of a tape guide and from being damaged in the process of taking the tape out of or placing it into a cassette.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A cassette type magnetic recording and reproducing device such as a video tape recorder is known as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,101 in which the tape, contained within the cassette, is taken into a predetermined location out of the cassette when the cassette is set in the video taperecorder prior to running operation of the tape at that location. In such a conventional video tape recorder, a rotational cylinder is inclined to register a signal on the tape and to reproduce the signal from the tape. In order to securely or accurately contact the tape with the inclined rotational cylinder, the position and inclination of the tape take-up device, after pulling the tape out of the cassette, are precisely calculated and controlled from the results of such calculation.
One example of a conventional tape take-out device is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, wherein a tape guide 12 is provided at both upper and lower ends portions thereof with flanges 24A and 24B to restrict the upward or downward displacement of a tape 4. A second tape guide 11 is fixed on a common shifting base 25 together with a tape guide 12. The shifting base 25 is mounted on a guide member 28 securely fixed on a chassis 26 by screw fasteners 27A, 27B. Guide pins 29A, 29B are connected with the lower surface of the shift base 25, with the guide pins 29A, 29B being fitted in a central groove of the guide member 28. A spring member 30 is attached on the lower surface of the shifting base 25 by a screw 31 from an underside of the guide member 28 so that the shifting base 25 and the spring 30 hold the guide member 28 therebetween with suitable spring force. A link 32 is connected to the guide pin 29A, with the link 32 being connected to tape take-out device driving means (not shown), so as to move the shifting base 25 along the groove on the guide member 28. Also, the shifting base 25 slides with its lower sliding surfaces 33A, 33B contacting on the guide member 28, while the outer peripheral surfaces of the guide pins 29A, 29B slide along side surfaces 34A, 34B of the groove of the guide member 28.
However, a shifting passage of the above-mentioned conventional tape take-out device has been designed in such a manner that the tape take-out device is merely protected from interference with the remaining members during operations such as taking out or storing the tape. On the other hand, a shape of the upper surface of the guide member on which the tape take-out device slides is thus usually either formed parallel to the chassis surface or formed at a slight inclination with respect to the chassis surface. On the other hand, a rotational cylinder is slantedly mounted so that the tape take-out device will move along the guide member as previously formed transferring the tape forcibly to press this tape against the rotational cylinder, whereby this causes problems, such as partially damaging the tape because of excessive force locally exerted on the tape, and the tape is dislodged from the tape take-out device.